Windthorpe
by Berry-G
Summary: Rai's life has been rough for years. As a new school year begins he only wants a fresh start. But with new students arriving; including a orange eyed hunk, redhead badass and gothic geek, things only seem to get worse for everyone around them. AU
1. Day One at Windthorpe

****Chapter One- Day One****

**Fall**

* * *

><p>It was a warm day on August 18. A school bus stopped in front of a tall stone school. Teenagers of different sizes, ages, and skin colors shuffled off and headed for the entrance. There were four teens in particular who stopped in front of the school building, overlooking its features.<p>

"Well, we're finally here." The Japanese girl spoke first. She was short for her age, and was very pretty. Her black sleek hair was in two short pigtails. She was wearing a red tank top, a light orange vest and light blue skinny jeans with orange converse tennis shoes to match the vest.

"It seems so much bigger since last year." Next was the Brazilian boy. He was tall and had tan skin. His sharp brown hair was slightly messy. His outfit consisted of a thick white hoodie, a gold medallion necklace, green khakis and red and white tennis shoes.

"That's jus 'cuz we're not use to the idea of us bein' sophomores." The cowboy reassured tipping his cowboy hat lower over his blonde hair. He was the tallest out of the group, but was a gentle fella. He was wearing a blue collar shirt with a red bandanna around his neck, blue jeans and brown leather cowboy boots.

"That is most easy for you to say my friend, I am a mere freshman!" the small oddly colored boy pointed out. He was slightly shorter than the girl, making him the shortest in the group. He was bald and had buttery yellow skin. He was wearing a red shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes.

These students were Kimiko Tahomiko, Raimundo Pedrosa, Clay Bailey and Omi Portly. They stood side by side gazing at their high school; Windthorpe High. Raimundo, Kimiko and Clay were returning to take on their sophomore year. They were slightly nervous because of the stories of the bullies and their torturous tactics in this grade and the unjust teachers and their grading system. But since they had gotten through their freshmen year with A's B's and seldom C's. Also Clay and Kimiko didn't have one bruise from any bully attacks. Raimundo was another story, but he was alive and well now. They figured that sophomore couldn't be that hard.

However Omi was also another story. It would be his first year at high school, so that meant being a freshman. From his friend's stories, more often than not they were from Raimundo, it sounded like a nightmare. He even began to think that the end of life as he knew was quickly approaching as the first day of school was coming near. He had heard the tales of freshmen being picked on and tossed into lockers. He already had enough problems. He didn't need to be locked in a locker anytime soon.

He had recently been adopted by a very nice woman, her name was Miss Portly. She was poor so they couldn't afford to buy new clothes, or nice school supplies, and he knew that having money for lunch would be scarce. Not to mention the fact that he was a strange boy, at least to people other than his best friends. His yellow skin could be seen for miles and he was given names like "Cheese wheel" or "Cheese puff". Also, he was previously in a Chinese orphanage before he was adopted and moved to America. So he was having difficulty speaking English well, and whenever he attempted to say a slang phrase it wouldn't turn out right, and he would get teased for it.

Luckily his friends were almost always there for him and defended him. But now, they couldn't be there together as much as they used to, and he would be alone in a classroom. Being teased and pushed around for his obvious differences.

Omi hung his head, afraid of what would soon come to pass in the school. The cowboy, Clay patted his large bald head.

"Don't worry lil' buddy, we still got cha covered." He tipped his hat over his blue eyes a bit more.

"That's right!" The other two, Raimundo and Kimiko piped in, smiling at their petite friend. He smiled back.

"Thank you very much." He held his head high with a grin. He could take on Windthorpe. And he would get through alive. At least he really hoped he would. Suddenly they heard a bell screeching from the building.

"Oh my gosh! We're gonna be late for our classes!" Kimiko said shocked looking at her watch.

"Well let's go!" Rai took her hand and tugged her along. The four of them and other frantic students hurried inside.

The halls were absolutely flooded with confused freshmen and chatty sophomores, juniors and seniors. Omi observed the freshmens and their lost looks. He immediately decided that he would not seem confused or lost, and kept a strong face. But then he quickly realized that he did not know where his next class was. Or the one after that. His façade dropped and a fearful look appeared on his face. He gasped and tried to look around for his classroom.

"Ex- Excuse me c-can you? Oh, sorry to b-bother…" Omi tried to grab the students' attention but was ignored. He spun around in the flood of students looking for a way out. He was going to be late to his first class on the first day of school. He wanted to make the best first impression he could, but it was going downhill at the moment.

"Omi!" he heard Kimiko's voice faintly in the buzzing hallway. "Your room is two floors up! It's down the hall and -pardon me- to your left when you get up -sorry can I get through?- the stairs! See you at lunch!" Kimiko managed to inform him while moving a few people aside so that Omi could hear her clearly as possible. The young teen sighed with relief and headed to the said staircase.

"See y'all later!" Clay quickly waved to his friends headed for his class.

"We shall seize you later Clay!" Omi called to him. He heard a few students laughing at his slang error, but ignored it and ran up the stairs.

"See ya Clay." Kimiko called back.

She felt a hand grab her arm and tug her along. "C'mon Kim!" Rai was dragging her with him to their class. If they hadn't been there in the previous year, then they would've been completely lost in the many twisted hallways.

Soon, Rai and Kimiko reached their destination, at Mr. Vlad's class. A tall bulky man with short blonde hair was at the chalkboard, writing his name in the front of the class.

"Have a seat please you three." His Russian accent wrapped around his words.

"Three? But it's only me and Rai sir." Kimiko corrected the man, with an eyebrow arched.

"He also meant me." A voice answered from behind her. She and Rai turned around to face the person who spoke. It was a guy. He had on a black T- shirt, dark blue jeans and grey tennis shoes. His hair was long and black with a tint of green on the edges. His golden eyes stared at them, his face was emotionless. After a few seconds of sizing them up, he walked past them to the back of the class with the teacher. Awestruck like the other students, Kim and Rai sat in two seats that were separated by an empty seat.

"Ah! Chase Young, I am glad you were able to come this year!" Mr. Vlad said greeting the new student. He turned Chase to face the class, and said to the students, "Everyone this is Chase Young. He is transfer student from China. Make him feel welcome."

"Where do I sit?" Chase asked nonchalantly.

"Let's see… next to Raimundo and Kimiko. Please raise hands you two, so Chase knows where he sits."

Raimundo and Kimiko shot their hands up for the Chinese boy to see them. He walked to his seat and sat in between them; Kimiko on his left and Rai on his right. In the corner of his eye he saw a tan hand approaching him.

"Hi, I'm Raimundo! Nice to meet ya!" he grinned at Chase, introducing himself. Chase stared blankly at his hand, and then he turned to the chalkboard. Rai pulled back his hand, and also stared at the chalkboard. 'Guess he keeps to himself.' Rai thought.

"Hello, I'm Kimiko! Welcome to Windthorpe High Chase!" He turned to see Kimiko introducing herself. Chase grinned, took her hand and planted a chaste kiss on it.

"The pleasure is all mine, Kimiko. And I thank you for the greeting."

Rai stared at them, flabbergasted at the action. 'He'll take her hand and kiss it but he won't take mine and just shake it!' He felt his jaw hit the desk with a soft thud. A moment later a voice in his right ear grabbed his attention.

"There problem Pedrosa?" the teacher asked, a bit concerned as for why the teen's jaw was lying on his desk.

Rai closed his mouth closed and shook his head. He could feel the other students staring at him. He blushed and looked down at his lap. _What a way to start the school year._

He facepalmed shaking his head slowly. _Its happening all over again..._

The class continued with Mr. Vlad telling the class more about himself and drifting off to a few stories about his family's Russian background. And that wasn't the most exciting thing to do in a classroom with nothing to do for an hour and a half. Rai let out a deep agitated sigh. _Yeesh, does this guy plan on doing this for the rest of the semester or somethin'?_

His mind began to drift to a soft sound coming from Chase's desk. He was also ignoring the teacher's story, and instead was scribbling in a small notebook. What he was writing, was a mystery to Rai, who was a very curious person since birth. He glanced at the front of the class, seeing Mr. Vlad was telling a story about his first and only love and was… crying into a tissue? _Yeah he's not gonna notice me._

The tan teenager slowly moved his slightly noisy desk closer to Chase's. He scanned the paper. _It's a poem? _He gently scooted closer, seeing Chase either not noticing him or simply ignoring him, and began reading.

_Don't keep me waiting until fall_

_Make up your mind or I'll be gone_

_I'm under your spell-what have you done?_

_Open your heart, you can tell me all_

_Tell me "Do I have a chance?"_

_For a long time I've been-_

"Is there something interesting you see, that you want to show class, Pedrosa?"

He jumped and looked up at the source of the voice. It came from Mr. Vlad of course, and he was hovering over the boy's desk with an annoyed look on his face. Rai slowly moved back to his original spot. He felt the teacher's gaze following him.

"Sorry sir…" Raimundo mumbled.

Mr. Vlad turned to look at Chase's desk, seeing him tuck the notebook away. "Or you Chase?"

The long haired boy shook his head, staying silent.

"It happens again, I see ya both during lunch for 15 minute detention. Understood?" Mr. Vlad was already at the chalkboard writing Raimundo and Chase's name for a warning. They both nodded, and were quiet for the rest of the period.

* * *

><p><strong>Ring! Ring!<strong> The fourth period bell rang bouncing off the gym's walls into the ears of all inside. The hungry students got their supplies and hurried to the lunchroom. In the large room was a long line to the food counter. It was in the far left in the room, and the line was stretching to the corner in the far right of the room… to the doorway. As Rai set his eyes on the line before him, he groaned. He was now probably now officially the last person in line in the whole school.

_Crap, I should've listened to Mom when she suggested I pack my lunch._ He thought as he got in line.

As the line slowly progressed he heard footsteps behind him. He looked back to see Chase waiting behind him. He was facing the wall nearby with an unreadable look on his face. _He doesn't look like it, __but he might be kinda pissed. Maybe I should try to make up for my behavior in Mr. Vlad's class. _He cleared his throat and got Chase's attention which surprised him.

"Uh… hey!" Rai said slightly smiling.

"Hello." Chase replied blandly and looked back at the wall.

_Say something else smartness._ Rai mentally said to himself.

"Long line huh?" he asked. _No shit Sherlock._

"Uh huh…"

"Whatcha having?"

"I don't know. Whatever they are serving."

Silence. They moved further through the line. More silence.

_Real smart of you dude. Really smart._ Rai mentally scolded himself. For the rest of the way, he and Chase were quiet.

Once he got his lunch, Rai found his friends sitting at a small table close by. He sat in next to Kimiko.

"Hey guys!" he grinned at them.

"Hi!" they said back smiling back at him.

"We were jus' talkin to Omi 'bout his Health class." Clay said stuffing his mouth with his hamburger.

"Really? How come?" Rai asked he took a big bite out of his pizza.

"That woman is sexist! Sexist I say!" Omi declared, throwing his fist in the air.

"Omi…" Kimiko said sighing, "Just because Ms. Davidson kept telling the girls that they could have the same upper body strength as the guys, didn't mean that she favored girls."

"Yes it does!"

"I thoughtcha told us a young lady simply asked whether not she coul' be as strong as a boy." Clay remarked looking down at Omi.

"Yes, but it cannot be possible! Girls are very delicate and certainly don't have more strength than boys."

"Ohoho, wanna bet? I've been taking karate for about two years now. Getting better every session." Kimiko pretended to roll up a sleeve to prove that she would take him on to prove her strength.

Omi grinned mockingly, "Bring it off!"

"On. Now settle down you two," Clay said. He and Raimundo laughed at their friends' act.

A few moments later they heard a silky voice ask, "Excuse me. May I sit here?" it came from behind Kimiko and Rai. They turned to see Chase standing with his tray of food.

"Chase! Welcome to our table!" Rai said, forgetting that his mouth was full of food. Chase slightly winced. Raimundo quickly swallowed and apologized.

"Hey guys, this is the transfer student from China. His name is Chase Young and he's a sophomore. Chase this is Clay and Omi. You already know me and Rai." Kimiko said introducing him to her friends.

They greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, it's nice to make your acquaintance. So, is it any trouble for me to sit here?" Chase asked them. Rai got up from his seat and sat in an empty seat next to Omi.

"Um... thanks." Chase sat in his seat.

Rai only nodded with a grin on his face. He wanted to make up for the Mr. Vlad thing somehow.

For the rest of the lunch period Clay and Omi told Raimundo about their strange and funny teachers. He told them about some old faces he saw around the school. Across from them, Kimiko was chattering to Chase about her move to America and how she sometimes missed her old life in Japan. Chase told her stories about China life and how his old school was so different from Windthorpe. They laughed and smiled all through lunch.

* * *

><p>At dismissal the students flew out the school's large glass doors outside. Rai started walking down the street. Suddenly, someone jumped on his back and he began to wobble trying to keep his balance.<p>

"Ack! Whoever it is… can you get off?" his voice was a choked whisper since the person had their arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"Sorry!" It was Kimiko. She slid off his back quickly and continued to walk with him down the bustling street. "Didn't mean to suffocate you."

"It's alright, you always were a playful spirit."

"Yeah." She laughed at the memories of their past.

Rai smiled. He could still see some of the old her in her small face. He remembered when they were younger, she would always jump on his back and he would piggy back her everywhere. She was probably fourteen the last time he gave her a piggy back. _A lot has changed. Too much, too quickly._ He frowned, thinking of how he had also changed. His thoughts were interrupted by Kimiko.

"Rai, look out!" she pulled back his shoulder, making him fall back on top of her.

"Ouch! Kimi what was that for?" he asked getting off of her and helping her up.

She dusted herself off. "Well, I guess I could have let you walk right into that bus, now couldn't I?"

Rai looked back to see that he would've walked right into a flying school bus had she not done anything. He blushed and thanked her.

"Eh, no problem. I'm sure you would've done the same for me." At that moment a red taxi pulled up besides them. She hopped inside, waved through the window and the taxi drove away. Rai watched her leave and began walking home.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This is B-G and this is my first and old story Unpredictable Year at Windthorpe High. If it seems familiar annd you still have an interest in the story, then I would appreciate a review. If you are new to this, I would appreciate a review on how you like it so far. **

**This story is being re-uploaded due to me losing its data, I'm back from a veery long trip to California and Ohio, I have gotten over my writers block, and I will have time to continue it (so far).**

**Thank you for reading (:**

**BTW: The pairings (both main and... _not main_ I guess?) are:**

**Rai/Kim - M**

**Chase/Kim - M**

**Ashley (Katnappe)/Rai - NM**

**Ashley/Jack - NM**

**Chase/Wuya -? (not sure)**

**You will see hints of each sometime throughout in the story. By the end, the final couples will be shown. **


	2. A Battle and a Call

**A/N: Thank you to Kimrailover07301997 and Xiaolin Fan for the reviews! ^^ They are greatly appreciated!**

**Note: There is violence/abuse and swearing.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Xiaolin Showdown.**

* * *

><p>Raimundo walked through an alley to a scraggly and gray neighborhood. It seemed like a ghost town. Nobody ever dared to pass by the scruff and dark shacks, that were once tall gleaming houses. Everywhere visitors turned, they only saw broken and jagged sidewalks with large pieces of furniture on them. The houses that once had red bricks sealed neatly in place, black shining shingles layered on the roofs, and green and lively gardens on the fronts were now abandoned and sickening. The bricks were now dark brown with tints of green in the cracks where mold was rapidly growing. Shingles that were unaffected by the holes in the roofs were strung by a line of tar on the side of the house. Brown and yellow grass replaced the bright and colorful gardens that would bloom and bring new hope and brightness every spring. Ever since his father lost his job as a lawyer because he was caught drinking, the neighborhood was Rai's home. Whether he liked it or not.<p>

He approached the last house on the corner. It was like the others; scruff, old, and looked abandoned. But it was slightly cared for, so it wasn't as broken down as the others. There were areas of cement and bricks where people could see development going on to rebuild the walls. There were a few flower pots scattered about, trying to give the house a nicer appearance. Rai noticed that the broken wooden stairs were groaning less under his weight on them.

_I guess Raoul is working hard to keep this house in shape._ He was referring to his oldest brother, Raoul Pedrosa. Raimundo was a lot like him. Same sharp brown hair, green eyes, and even same grades at school. They would usually be considered twins, except Raoul was of course older and taller. He was 5'9" and was 19 years old. Raimundo was 5'6" and was 15 years old. He always looked up to Raoul. He was the go getter in the family. He was the first to think of something to help the family. _His care is such a blessing... even for Papa._ Rai winced at the thought of his father and opened the door.

The atmosphere was undeniably dangerous. The all of the lights were off, making the house seem haunted, as long shadows stretched on the walls. The wind coming through the door whistled through the nearly empty house. And the air seemed as if it was contaminated, and could clog the Brazilian's lungs with an unknown poisonous gas. It was like how a mouse felt when being cornered by a cat in a corner. Nowhere to run, no holes in the wall to escape through, and no kind of diversion to drive the cat away. Just fear swallowing the small creature, and death a few paces behind it.

Rai shook off the frightening feeling, thinking that it was just from a uneasy day at school. He went over to the couch and tossed his backpack on it.

"Yo! Anybody here?" He yelled, his voice drifting though the house with the wind. The wind blowing was his only answer.

"Qualquer um aqui?" He asked again, in his native tongue. More silence.

He turned a corner to look for his family. Suddenly a large hand grabbed him. He felt a scream from shock rising out of his throat, but the hand covered his mouth. He felt the person behind him dragging them to a nearby room. Once they were in the room, Rai took the person's hand and twisted it, so that he would be behind the person with their arm locked behind their back. The mysterious person finally spoke.

"Ow! Rai, next time you think of using me as your karate dummy give me a chance to warm up!"

"Raoul!" Rai immediately let go of his brother. "I'm sorry dude! Hey, where is everyone?"

The family was quite large for the small house they lived in. He had eight siblings, but only four lived with him. Raoul, Iris, (the second oldest sibling at 18 years old) and the two youngest daughters, Felicita (six years old) and her twin Rita (also six). Usually the house was in an uproar with the twins singing along with the radio and Iris and Raoul constantly fighting about who would use the shower next. But today, something unnerving was in the air. He looked into his brother's eyes. They grew dark and cold. Something wasn't right _at all_.

He spoke, his voice coated with anger, "He's at it again..."

_Oh no..._

Rai looked down at the loose tiles on the floor. _That's why the house's aura seems dangerous... its Papa._ He felt his head begining to throb. _So that means that Mama and the girls are out, at their hideout._

He grimaced. Ever since Papa had started abusing drugs and taking unknown but seemingly dangerous amounts of alcohol, Mama would take her daughters to their little hideaway for the rest of the day. So that he wouldn't hurt them as much as he used to. Usually he stayed somewhere else, but once in a while he came back, claiming he got evicted from his residence. He was a violent drunk, and when he was angry, he would use anything that was nearby to show the other person how frustrated he was with them. Rai grimaced as he laid a hand on his lower back. Just like how he showed it to Raimundo not too long ago.

"Wait, why are you still here? I thought you were going to have an excuse to stay at work." Raimundo asked his brother. He thought he would use whatever advantage he had to escape their abusive father's clutches. Raoul's eyes looked at his younger brother's. They looked warm for some strange reason, alothough they still looked the same as before. Cold.

"Well, someone has to make sure you get home safe and alive. Even with a lunatic moping around"

Raimundo didn't know what to say. Just saying a simple 'Thank you' or 'I appreciate it' might've been good, but it just didn't seem to cut it. Raoul deserved so much for what he did for his family to make sure that they were okay. All Rai could muster was a weak smile. Raoul returned it with a smile of his own.

A loud crash and glass breaking outside the bathroom's doors warned the two boys that someone was out there. And they knew who.

"Raoul! Raimundo! I know damn well you two are in there! Get out here!"

They slowly slunk out the bathroom into the small and dark kitchen to meet an outraged father. His dark brown hair with light highlights were a mess, as if he just tousled it around for hours on end. His blue collar shirt was ripped and buttoned crookedly. His tie was hanging off his neck loosely. He was wearing brown slacks that had an unfastened belt around his waist. He was wearing a sock on his left and had a sandal on the other. The man was holding a beer can in one hand. The other was bleeding in the palm, where shards of glass were cut deep in the skin. His once majestic green eyes were red and his eyelids were half closed. He was drinking again. The boys knew it. And this time, it was a pretty large amount.

Suddenly a large hand flew at Raimundo's cheek and sent him flying into a wall. His eyes fluttered open as his found himself lying on the floor, his head and cheek hot and throbbing with pain. He moved a hand around his head to find no injuries, but on his cheek his hand flinched. He looked to see that shards from Papa's hand was stuck in his cheek skin and now his fingers. A frown appeared on his face and he glowered up at the man who had struck him. His response was a low menacing growl.

"You. You piece of shit... I don't know why I bother telling you this over and over, since it should be burned in your fuckin' brain. But you bring a bad reputation to the Pedrosa name. It was up to you to run a business. To bring the pride and honor of being a Pedrosa. But what do I find you doing? Going out to the garage, fixing and oiling them cars and shit. What's that supposed to do for you, eh? Bring in enough money for you to get a smoke and fries or somethin'?"

"It's better to do that than to be an asshole like you." Rai replied, his voice barely above a whisper. He groaned as a foot swept across his head and pushed it to the wall again. He resisted the urge to touch his head, to not give the drunk any kind of satisfaction.

"I know _YOU_ ain't talking to_ ME_ like that!... I knew I should've told Mama to go ahead with that abo-**ACK**!"

Rai's vision was blurry from the kick, but he was able to see what was going on clear enough to gasp. His brother's arm was holding Papa's neck back, causing the man to lose oxygen. His face was covered by loose brown strands of hair as he looked down upon his struggling father. His aura was growing colder and angrier by the second. Rai could've sworn he felt a chill from it enveloping his body from it.

"That's quite enough _old_ man." Raul said in a harsh tone. Papa's eyes flew open. He may have been drunk, and he knew it- he was stone cold. But drunk or not, no one had the right to call him old. His hands shot to Raul's elbow. As he got a good grip on it he heaved the arm off of him and grabbed the elbow joint and then twisted it. Raul groaned as shots of pain surged thorough his arm, but the it didn't dare to show on his face.

"I don't know why you're talkin'_ lil'_ boy. You're gettin' a lil' long in the tooth if you asked me." He twisted Raoul's arm more, causing a small gasp to come from the young man.

"A-At least I d-don't have an a-affair with m-my co-worker!"

_Pause. . ._

The room became still and cold again. Rai shivered, whenever his father was mentioned about a "certain co-worker", he would be in a hot rage. No way to stop him. He was a bloodthirsty animal out for his victim, his vision blurry and motions slurred with rage. Rai's senses were reawakened by the inhuman yell coming from his father as he swung Raoul into the kitchen table. The small table suddenly smashed under his weight. The young man found himself covered in dust and splinters. _Dear God, not now..._ Rai's mind didn't want to witness yet another fight between his brother and father.

He used the wall to slowly stand up on his feet, and walk towards the nearest exit, making sure not to interfere with the battling men. He finally left his home, his father and brother arguing and fighting behind him. He wanted to stay and defend his brother. Honest he did. But he knew that with his injuries what could he do? Besides getting knocked into oblivion and bleeding to death were his only two options in this case. So unfortunately, his only option was reduced to hiding away from home a bit. At least, hopefully until the fight blew over.

But where could he go? Not to a hospital. They were all in the city, far away from him. So that left going to find his mother and sisters or going to a friend's house. Well for one, he needed two types of transportation to reach Mama and his sisters, so that was out of the question. He didn't have the time, energy, or money to ride the bus or take the nearest subway. So that left going to a friend's house. But who's? Well Omi was too far away, plus he and his mother couldn't support any more people since they probably didn't have the money. Clay? Nah, he had to go to work at his dad's store. So that left only one person...

Rai made his decision, and started to limp to his destination. Leaving the fiery battle behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>Raimundo's POV<strong>

_I had no idea that getting to Laneway Avenue would take so long, the injured teen thought. How long have I been walking now? Well, it took me about 15 minutes to walk down three blocks. Then after I crossed the street, I turned and walked down Indigo St. for 'bout 10 minutes... _My mind continued to retrace my path as I slowly limped up the street. Honestly, I didn't care about how I got here, or how long it took me. I knew why I was there, and that was all that mattered. Also, I needed someway to distract my mind from the fact that my cheek was still slightly bleeding a trail of red, my jaw was beginning to feel swollen and my dogs were barking from the long walk. I looked at my surroundings, to take my mind off of the wounds.

A line of evening shadows from the houses casted a mysterious spell of peace upon me. Standing tall and proud with their windows tinted with the last of the evening's light, the shingle styled houses lined up down the street, each with their own divine taste of class. Small arrays of white wooden fences surrounded the houses. Behind them, dogs from small Chihuahuas to large Saint Benards barked at me. I only ignored them and walked further and further to the end of the block. I could also see small patches of rose bushes in front of the houses' porches. On some lawns I could see statues of garden gnomes, water nymphs, and other small mystical creatures. This is the kind of neighborhood I have always wanted to live in. 'What I wouldn't give to live here. Even for a day.'

Suddenly a drop of liquid fall on my arm: It was water. 'What? I thought it wasn't supposed to rain until later.' I thought thinking back to the weather report I heard this morning. I lifted his head up to the sky. My vision was still a bit blurry, but I could see the colors well enough to see that instead of the sherbet colored sky I'd usually see at this time, ominous grey clouds circled the sun, darkening the Earth. A roar of thunder followed by a white flash and streak in the sky alerted me about a soon to come storm.

'Damn that weather man.' I power walked as fast as his legs could take him not very fast. I could heard the pitter-patter of the falling rain behind me, creeping closer and closer to my form. 'No, not now! NOT NOW!' I tried to pick up the pace, but by the surge of pain surging through my left knee, it wasn't going to help. So there, the rain caught up with me, and encased my at first dry form and soaked it to the bone. 'I hate that weather guy. I hate him I hate him I hate him!" I kept going though, and was able to reach the desired house before anymore damage could be done.

I made my way up the white painted steps to the front porch safe from the rain's reach. My wet hand reached up to the doorbell, and rang it. As I waited for someone to answer, I tilted my to the nearby nameplate of the owner's last name printed in bold black letters. **Tohomiko.**

* * *

><p><strong>Kimiko's POV<strong>

_"Back door cracked we don't need a key_

_We get in for free_

_No VIP sleaz_

_Drink that kool aid, follow my lead_

_Now you're one of us_

_You're coming with me__"_

I leaped around my room with my BFF Keiko and my new friend, Ashley Carter. A classic Spice Girls song playing on my stereo, my Yorkie puppy, Riley, barking to the beat, and us three free dancing all over the place; Crush sodas in our hands, feathered boas around our necks, and oversized glasses on our eyes, equaled total sleepover bliss.

Ashley pulled her boa looser around her neck and used her soda can as a microphone for her solo.

"_Its time to kill the lights and shut the DJ down_"

Keiko interrupted for the next line, "Tonight we're taking over no ones getiing out "

All together we sang the next lines, "This place about to **blow**~!"

After another minute or two, the song ended. We fell on the floor laughing our heads off (thanks to the sugar from the soda). We were a pile of giggling teenagers. Soon, Riley ran over to us and whined, his black beady eyes begging.

"He w-wants us to p-lay the song a-again, Kimiko! Hehe!" Keiko sputtered through her giggles.

"Alright, I-I'm on it!" I said, getting my last laughs out. I picked myself off the floor and spun to the stereo. But before I could press the play button, the doorbell's melody filled the house.

Ashley and Keiko, now done with laughing, stood up. "What idiot like, decides to make a surprise visit during a thunderstorm?" Ashley asked.

"I have no idea. I'll go see." I rushed out down the hallway and began trotting down the long staircase.

"Be sure to shut the door as soon as you open it!" Keiko yelled from my bedroom.

"Why?" I yelled back.

"'Cuz the only people out at this hour are perverts, pedophiles, and pimps! The Triple P's!"

"It's only seven at night, Keiko."

"My point exactly! You don't live TOO far from them you know!"

I heard Ashley giggling at Keiko's comeback as I got closer to the front door. When I got there I looked through the eyehole. There was a grim looking figure standing on my porch. I couldn't tell who it was at first because of the darkness.

"W-who is it?" I find myself stuttering to the person on the other side of the door, only slightly afraid that it may have very well been something that Keiko had suggested.

There wasn't an answer, so I hesitantly opened the door.

There before me was a teenage boy, about my age. His brown hair stuck to his face hid his eyes. I could see a black and red cut on his cheek. His hoodie and khakis were dripping wet. And I could see his tan skin with goosebumps as he slightly shivered from the cold.

I winced at the depressing sight. "Is that you Raimundo?"

* * *

><p><strong>Universe POV<strong>

It was indeed her dear friend, wet and shivering on her welcome mat.

"Oh my god! Get in here!" Kimiko grabbed his hand and dragged him inside her home. The living room's light shined on his beaten figure. He looked like someone she had never met before: An abused, neglected and obviously hurt child. Not teen, but child. She brushed a few of his bangs aside, then moved for his cut. He slightly flinched at the feeling of her warm hand on his cold scar, but he allowed her to examine it.

"Oh my how did this happen Rai?" she asked in a soft and concerned voice.

He only stared at the floor. She raised his chin to meet her saddened blue eyes. His were dull and emotionless. Not in the mood for a friendly conversation at the moment. They were like a stranger's eyes to her.

"Rai, can you please tell me-"

"Kim, what's keepin' ya girl?" Ashley's voice reached the bottom floor.

"Uh, hold on." Kimiko took Rai's hand again and tugged him slowly up the stairs. She looked back at him, trying to figure out what on Earth had happened to him.

Once they reached the top, she led him down the hall to her bedroom, where Ashley and Keiko were watching TV. Rai looked blankly at the sight. Everything was the same as the last time he visited her, which was God knows how long ago. The walls were each colored a different shade of red and orange. The carpeted floor showed no signs of crumbs or stains. Her yellow canopy bed was against the wall at about the middle of the big room. Nearby was her hot pink desk neat with files and books in piles. Her dresser and stereo were in the far corner of the room. And random beanbags, stools and chairs were scattered about. Rai remembered why he would silently wish he could live in this neighborhood; the comfort the people seemed to have.

After he scanned the room, Kimiko took him to a nearby beanbag and told him to relax, while she left to look for the first aid kit. He obeyed and stared casually at the flashing TV screen. He watched the intro to Robot Chicken._ Psh, what a lame show._ He thought trying to take his mind off of Kimiko's plea to know what happened to him in the last few hours.

"I can't tell her, not now." He whispered aloud to himself.

"Can't tell who what?" a purring voice questioned. He looked up to see Kimiko's new friend, Ashley talking to him from her seat on a nearby beanbag.

Before he answered Keiko threw a pillow at her. "Stop being nosy girl! Obviously he's not talking to you!"

Ashley caught the pillow and slid it behind her head. "Just trying to be helpful..." She murmured and turned back to the television.

The room was silent with the exception for the sounds from the TV until Kimiko returned with the first aid kit. "Sorry it took so long; I had to move all of the junk in the medicine cabinet out of my way. Whew, and believe you me, there are a **lot** of things up there."

She brought a stool next to Raimundo, and sat on it. "You guys are really watching that dumb show?" She gently turned Rai's head to the side so she could observe his gash on his cheek.

"Well it's only 7:23 P.M. so there's really nothing else to watch yet." To prove her statement, Keiko picked up the remote and channel surfed through endless clips of sports, boring family movies, and kiddy shows. Then she returned back to the show she was originally watching. "Like they say, 'More than 700 channels and nothing to watch', how sad." She joked.

Time passed and Kimiko was still working hard on Raimundo's deep scar and swollen jaw; Ashley decided to stop watching TV and began reading a magazine; and Keiko was texting. All throughout his arrival to Kimiko's house Raimundo was quiet. Until he finally whispered softly, "So Kim... how did you make this little party you three were havin'?"

Kimiko softly tweezed the remaining shards out of Rai's cheek flesh. He tensed as she did so. "It's a long story actually." She said, more concentrated on his cut than her story.

"I'll tell it!" Ashley spoke up enthusiastically from her seat. She hopped up and pushed Keiko aside a bit so that she could be next to Rai and Kim while she told the story.

"Okay, so here's the thing. You know that caf on Henning Street next to that Italian restaurant called Ristorante?"

"Ugh, don't tell him your life story Ashley." Keiko said not looking up from her cell phone. "Just say that local cafe called _Urban_."

"Well someone's being bossy." Ashley rolled her eyes and continued. "So like I was saying, at that cafe I met Kimiko. At first we didn't say anything. But then we noticed that we both got the same smoothie, which was weird since it was a flavor that very few people would get. So then we were like 'hey' and 'hi' and then we realized that we both go to school together. And so we started talking ya know. She told me about her classes and the teachers, and then she started talking about how she's going to take cheerleading when we choose our activities. And I was like 'Really? I am too!' and then we decided that we should meet again later so, she just invited me over so that I could also meet Keiko since she's staying for a few months as a break from Japan. Oh and also Kimiko's dad is out of town for a few days for a meeting with his company. And that's about it!" She smiled and waited for a reaction to her 'direct and detailed story'.

Everyone was quiet. "What? No recognition for my beautiful story telling?" More silence. "Oh alright, I see how you guys are. Fine be that way!" She mockingly pouted and turned the TV back on.

Kimiko patted a cotton ball on Rai's cheek. "And... done! Phew!" She slid her medical instruments back into the kit, and then held a small mirror up to Raimundo. "What do you think?" He lazily looked at his reflection. The swelling had died down, and the cheek now only had a thin line from the cut.

"Not bad." he began to slowly stroke his cheek, but Kimiko's hands flew to his.

"NO! Don't touch it yet, it's still healing." She commanded sternly. Rai nodded and laid his hands on his lap.

A sudden gasp from Keiko grabbed everyones' attention. "OMG! OMG! **OMG!**" She began squealing and jumping on the bed. "I can't believe it! I CANNOT BE-LIE-VE IT!"

Ashley joined her by also jumping on the bed. "What? Can't believe what?"

Keiko tried to talk, but the only sound that came out was "R-RICH! R-RICH!"

Annoyed by her hyperventilating, Kimiko snatched the crazed girl's phone and began reading the texts. "Hi how are you? I'm good I'm blah blah blah..." As she began reading the last text her eyes widened. "No. Way."

She read the message out loud for everyone to hear. "Hey, did you hear about how a millionaire movie star and his internationally known R&B singing wife are sending their son to **Windthorpe High** for schooling this year!" She and her friends continue to jump up and down screaming like fangirls. Raimundo watched them like they were insane.

"...So?" The simple phrase filled the room, instantly stopping all excitement and squealing.

Keiko turned to face the unimpressed boy, and said in a mocking voice, "_So?_ So what if a famous couple is sending their kid to school? So what if they're sending their kid to _our_ school? So what that the kid they're sending to _our_ school is a _boy_ which means that I have a chance of having him?" She looked down at his eyes, or to Raimundo, looking into his soul. "So Raimundo? That's not the best response to this great opportunity at our school, you know that right?"

Her response was a shrug. "Whatever works for you Keiko."

Ashley tapped Keiko on the shoulder to grab her attention and asked her, "Hey Keiko! Whatcha mean that YOU have a chance of having him? You're only staying for a few months. What about me? Can't I have him?"

Keiko slightly chuckled. "You? You already have your eyes set for someone, someone who's not on the same level as you." She quirked her eyebrows suggestively which caused the blonde to blush and pick up a pillow.

"Shut up!" She smacked Keiko dead in the face which made her lose her balance and fall on her ass on the floor.

Shocked, but not ready to give up a fight, Keiko picked up a nearby plush toy, and threw it at Ashley's head. "Make me!"

Ashley stumbled back, and pointed a finger at Keiko. "This means war!"

The 'fighting' girls continued their pillow fight, while Kimiko and Rai quietly left the room. She led him downstairs to the living room. "Hold on, I'm going to get your guest room ready." She told him as she lead him to the couch.

"No, it's alright Kim. I don't need all of this. I'm fine."

"Yes you do Rai. Now just give me a sec, 'kay?" She insisted and left to see about his guest room. Raimundo shook his head. He only intended to get some help with his wounds and maybe help about his brother and Papa. _Oh God no!_ Raoul and Papa! They were fighting when he left! He abruptly stood and walked to the wall where the home phone was charging. He picked up the phone and his fingers quickly pressed the numbers to call his house. He waited as he listened to the dial tone. Beep... Beep... Beep...

Rai was about to hang up when he heard a quiet, "...Hello?" His heart raced and he felt a soft smile creep onto his features. He sighed and continued talking to the voice. "Hello?"

"Who is this?"

"Rai."

The other person began softly sobbing. "Hello?" he asked again so that the person could identify themselves.

"R-Rai... it's *sniff* it's Iris."

He inwardly sighed. "Hey, what's wrong? Why you cryin'?"

After a few more sobs she said, "Raoul and him were passed out on the floor when Mama, Rita, Felicita and I came home. They were bleeding from different parts of their bodies, had splinters and cuts, and most of the furniture in the house was either broken or cracked. It was terrible irm ozinho. Just terrible... I mean, I had never been so scared for Raoul... or him."

On the other line, Rai deeply sighed. When she said 'him' she was always talking about Papa. But ever since he changed, she wouldn't call him Papa or even Dad anymore. She just called Papa him. She said that when he had the right for her to call him Papa, she would. But until then, she was still looking for any evidence of change. She would have to keep looking.

Iris's sobs brought him back to reality. "Why are you guys back home? I thought you were at your hideout."

"W-We were, but I brought my cell phone, and then a neighbor called me, telling me that she heard heated arguments and furniture being thrown from our house. So then we came as fast as we could. And when we got here... there they were..." she began to cry again.

"Are they still there?" he asked hoping he could hear a few words from Raoul. And be sure he was alive.

"N-No, the same neighbor suggested that she take them to the Saint Marge Hospital. She's that lady about a block away, in the sort of better neighborhood. I think you know her already, her name is Mrs. Juan."

"Yea, I do..."

"Mama's with her so I have to watch Rita and Felicita..."

"Oh, okay..."

Both were silent for a moment, taking in what had happened. And how their family was obviously falling apart. More and more as time went by. Finally, Iris said goodbye, and after a brief mentioning of his stay at Kimiko's house for the night, they hung up.

When Kimiko returned to gather Rai for his room, she found him fast asleep on the couch, curled into a small ball. Not wanting to wake him up, Kimiko covered him with a blanket, slowly crept away, and walked up the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Review! ...please?**


	3. The Black Hood vs Brown

**Chapter Two- Black Hoodie**

**Fall**

* * *

><p><strong>Universe POV<strong>

It was a rememinder that awoken Raimundo.

It was the reminder of his brother's and father's condition from their fierce bickering, and him not being able to stop it.

It was that reminder of the sound of his sister's shaking sobs and silent tears, falling gently on the receiver.

And that reminder that he wasn't with her or their younger siblings.

He wasn't there to take away their pain, or to relieve them...

He wasn't there for Mama, to comfort her and tell her that everything will be fine...

Although it would be a sugary and sweet lie.

This spiral of reminders shook him awake.

His green orbs opened to meet a sliver of the sun's rays. His eyes fluttered against the light, as he pushed himself from his curled position. As his brain began to configure the steps in order for him to fully wake up, he saw a pile of clothes with a small note at the foot of the couch. Wait, a couch? Oh yeah, he was still at Kimiko's house.

Rubbing his eyes, he reached over and picked up the note. Once his vision became clear, he read the delicate handwriting of whom else, but Kimiko?

_Hey Rai,_

_Now that you're reading this you're probably wondering what's going on. Well, first of all the girls and I are gone obviously. We left about 20 minutes ago (if you're reading this at the time I think you are) Oh and I found some clothes that I forgot to send to my cousin back in Japan. They should fit you. By the way, you should get going. Knowing you...well you're probably late. 'Cuz you remember that school starts at 7:10 right?_

_~ Kimiko_

Raimundo frowned at the last few sentences. "What does she mean late?" Rai looked up at the wall clock. He gaped at the time. "She knows me well!" He said as he grabbed the clothing and rushed to get dressed.

Panting and tired from finding a shortcut to school, Raumundo ran up the stairs two at a time up to the next floor. "I can't be late! I can't be-" BUMP! Turning the corner, Rai found himself on the cold floor, rubbing his head.

"Ouch..." he grumbled, "What was that?" he looked up to see a person.

They had on a black hoodie with crossbones, ripped dark tinted jeans, and grey sneakers. Their hoodie was casting a shadow on their face, so Raimundo couldn't identify them. For a moment he watched as the person gathered their papers and book. Finally Rai picked up a notebook and a few scattered pencils, handing them to the teen.

"...Thanks..." the person's voice was barely a whisper. Nodding, Rai walked into his classroom, seeing out of the corner of his eye the boy following him in.

The room was full of soft voices and shushes from the girls, who were sitting in the corner of the room. Rai caught a glance of Keiko and Ashley who were both blushing madly and talking excitedly. He walked over to a seat near the group, trying not to bring attention to himself. As he sat, he heard Ashley's perky voice.

"Hey Raimundo is here!" she said and quickly skipped over to his seat. Her head drooped down to his eye level. Rai unconsciously backed his head from her's, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"What?" he finally asked, feeling nervous from her gaze.

"How's that scar of yours?" she asked looking at the said healing scar.

Realizing she wasn't _trying_ to invade his space on purpose, Rai smiled and replied, "Pretty good, Kimiko did a great job, huh?"

Ashley smiled. "Uh huh, oh by the way, Keiko and I were telling some of the others about the text message from last night, and we've gotten some descriptions of him!" she clapped her hands together while smiling like a Cheshire cat.

Rai slowly nodded, not realizing where the subject was heading. "Cool, so what have you heard so far?"

"Well, we heard that he's a red head, fiery attitude alert! Wink wink!" she giggled, "and they said that he has the most beautiful creamy complexion." Her breaths became deep and blissful. "Sounds like a dream guy, right?"

"Sure," Raimudo rolled his green eyes and sighed. "So, why are you telling me this anyway? There's a whole bunch of students coming today who weren't here yesterday. And who knows how many are red heads?"

A pout crossed Ashley's face, "Well I don't want to be a nuisance to you, but I just thought that by spreading the news it could help me- um I mean us, the ladies in this school, find him!" she slowly grinned as she began to turn to walk away. "Keep a look out for him pretty please!"

Rai shook his head. The sudden sound of heels alerted the students and they became silent. At the front of the room, a young woman in a navy blue suit looked around the classroom, waiting for them to get seated. Obeying her quiet command, the students sat in seats, waiting for her orders like soldiers standing at the line.

Her appearance screamed 'I mean business!' As she gracefully strode to chalkboard, the class watched with awestruck eyes. Her hand swiftly wrote her name, Ms. Brown, in loopy cursive. She turned to the class, her dull green eyes scanning each face with a stone-like expression.

After a moment or two of her stare scanning the room of students, she grabbed a notebook and began to speak.

"As you can see, my name is Ms. Brown. Now I hope we can all have a fast, successful and productive year together in History. Now, roll call; so when I call your name I would prefer that you say 'present' to 'here'. Is there a Henery Autumn here?"

"Present!"

Mrs. Brown marked on the notebook, "Ashley Carter?"

"Huh? Oh present!"

"Thank you," she replied and the name calling continued.

Meanwhile, Raiumundo glanced over his shoulder to see a familiar hooded student in the back of the room, appearing to be drawing. Since it would take a few more moments before his name would be called, he decided to see what the boy was drawing. (Being bored and nosy and all.)

Quickly and silently, he slunk back a few desks, two desks away from the hooded boy. Rai could see the black pencil scratching this way and that way, and random measurements in the margin of the paper. Wanting a closer look at some doodles he found, Raimundo quickly slunk into another chair, when a rhythm of heels came his way. Soon a pair of dark green heels came into his view.

"Ahem, I said I guess RAIMUNDO PEDROSA is not here today. Am I correct?"

A wave of red blush crossed Rai's face as he walked back to his original seat. "No, I'm here."

"You are what?" Mrs. Brown questioned as she glided back to her desk.

"Wha- Oh PRESENT! I'm present..." he corrected himself.

"That's more like it," the woman's head slowly rolled up as she came across the last name. She glanced at the boy Raimundo had been watching, as he continued scribbling away, not caring about the woman's glare. Noticing this, she drifted over to his desk in a swift movement.

Leaning threateningly close to his hooded face, Ms. Brown spoke in a soft voice, "You do know that one: hoods aren't allowed in the school building, and two: it is considered rude to draw while your instructor is talking."

Saying this, her hand stretched out to grab hold of the black hood. When a slender black gloved hand caught hers, a small gasp escaped her mouth. She froze for only a moment, while the boy's other hand continued to write away. The other students looked awestruck at the stunt the boy pulled, especially Ashley. An impressed grin crossed her face for a moment. Shaking her head, Ms. Brown quickly regained her posture and released her hand from the boy's strong grip.

Walking back to the board, she grumbled, "I suppose you would like to take that attitude to Principal Hannibal?"

A grimacing grin appeared on her features as she heard the other students' terrified gasps fill the room. Keiko looked confused as she looked around the room, she tapped Ashley on her shoulder. Her eyes widened seeing Ashley's eyes filled with dread.

"Um, what's wrong? What's so scary? It's just the principal, right?" She asked shrugging.

Ashley's hands flew to Keiko's shoulders. "Just the principal?" she gently shook her friend, "Keiko, this isn't any old principal. This is one of the meanest, heartless, villainous people around! His smiles could send the devil running back to hell!" Her words sent shivers running through Keiko's spine as she covered her mouth, a look of horror on her face.

Raimundo frowned at the teacher. She knew the deed she was sending out, and wasn't turning back. He glanced at the boy, only to see him not moving. Rai wasn't sure whether he was an idiot or was being ridiculously brave. He decided to go with ridiculously brave. Ms. Brown noticed this also, and turned to look at the boy who was across the room from her.

She shrugged, and slowly walked back to his desk. "Alright, I gave you your chance." Her voice began to grow dark. "Now, don't say I didn't say anything."

After that, papers, pencils and a calculator were flying across the desks to door. A few girls who happened to be sitting in the direction of the flying school supplies slid under their seats in an attempt to dodge the objects. Everyone else watched in shock as one toss after toss the boy's materials made their way messily in front of the doorway. Rai wanted to help, but seeing the enraged look in Ms. Brown's eyes, that wasn't the best idea.

Finally, after the last pencil hit the wooden door, Ms. Brown leaned over the student's now clean desk. Her eyes were narrow and threateningly dark. A finger lifted to point to the door and supplies.

"Out." the one word sent a cold aura throughout the room.

For a short time the boy didn't move. The students began to think he had turned to stone from shock. But soon, they saw him slowly stand, and silently strut to the door to retrieve his materials. Raimundo glanced to see Ms. Brown staring at the boy with the same dark look as before.

_What a bitch..._ When he looked back at the doorway he saw the boy stand, his arms full of pencils, papers and notebooks. One of his hands grabbed the doorknob, without miraculously letting any of the supplies fall out of his grasp. He turned the knob and walked out of the classroom.

Ms. Brown's features then became calm and even joyful as she walked back to her desk. "Now, since the distraction is gone. We shall begin class. Will you ple-"

KNOCK KNOCK

All eyes turned to see the boy. Ms. Brown frowned and placed a hand on her hip.

"What do you want?"

For a moment the boy only stood there, his eyes still hidden but seemed to be glaring from the aura around him. Then in a swift and fast motion, he put up both of his hands, flashed her a double bird, then took off down the hallway.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sooooooo so so sooooooo sorry for the delay... I got really swamped in school and traveling, not to mention my computer had a virus in it so I couldn't use it and had to use my school or the library computers. =_= Needles to say that was difficult. **

**But I plan to upload this and one or two more chapters before this break is over to play a little bit of catch up. And sorry this chapter is short, the next one is longer!**

**Anyway please review!**


End file.
